Mickelson withdraws as US Open tees off
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, June 16, 2017
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Phil Mickelson withdrew from the US Open a little more than an hour after the sun climbed over Erin Hills, realizing there was no chance to get from his daughter's high school graduation in California and make his Thursday afternoon tee time in Erin, Wisconsin.
This is the first time Mickelson has missed the US Open since he failed to qualify in 1993.
Roberto Diaz of Mexico, the next alternate in line, took his place and at least was allowed to get some rest. Diaz had to be at Erin Hills for the 6:45am start and wait until Mickelson's tee time at 2:20pm in case anyone else had pulled out with injury.
Mickelson had been holding out hope that with the potential of storms over Wisconsin, there might be a long enough delay that he could still make his tee time. His daughter, Amanda, is the class president at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, California, and was to give the commencement speech.
The graduation starts at noon Wisconsin time. Mickelson figured he would need at least a four-hour delay at Erin Hills, where the course has been closed twice in the last three days because of thunderstorms.
Instead, the US Open began under sunshine and with practically no threat of bad weather all day. Jordan Niebrugge, one of two Wisconsin players in the field at Erin Hills, hit the opening tee shot in Wisconsin's first US Open.
Mickelson holds the US Open record with six runner-up finishes, and it's the only major keeping him from the career Grand Slam.
The last time Mickelson was runner-up at the US Open was in Merion in 2013.
